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All Walt Disney World Resort hotels will implement an overnight parking fee as of March 21, 2018. The parking fee will appear on the guest room charge account, which charges to the credit card on file at the end of the trip.

The Cabins at Disney’s Fort Wilderness do incur the overnight parking charge. Only the Campsites at Disney’s Fort Wilderness campgrounds are excluded from the parking charge.

Valet parking at deluxe hotels is $33 per night.

Bay Lake Tower parking lot with Magic Kingdom in the foggy distance

Who is excluded from the overnight hotel parking charge?
– Guests who booked their Disney hotel stay BEFORE March 21, 2018
– Guests with a valid disability parking permit
– Disney Vacation Club members staying in a villa
– Day guests visiting a hotel to eat, shop, and experience entertainment and recreation options

Theme park parking remains free for Disney hotel guests. If you’re using Magical Express and do not rent a car during your trip, you will be unaffected by these changes. If you use Magical Express and rent a car during your stay, you will be charged for overnight parking.

In your news today, Walt Disney World will now allow dogs to stay in 4 select hotels on property. This trial opportunity is currently available for hotel stays October 15, 2017 to October 15, 2018. The four hotels included are Art of Animation, Port Orleans Riverside, Yacht Club, and the Cabins at Fort Wilderness.

There is a nightly charge of $50 at the value, moderate and cabin options. The charge is $75 per night at the deluxe option. Two dogs per room are permitted. Rooms will have easy access to green space, which likely means first floor rooms at the hotels. Rooms with dogs receive Pluto’s Welcome Kit with special items for your furry friends.

Among the requirements for this trial are that dogs must be well behaved, on a lease in public spaces and up to date on vaccinations. Special door hangers indicating dogs are in the room are required and housekeeping will only occur upon request with the owner of the pets present.

Read below for more information about this four legged friendly trial.

For most of the United States and Canada, Mardis Gras is just another Tuesday in late winter. For many Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama residents, Mardis Gras can mean school holidays perfect for a mid-winter vacation! Whether school closes for the entire week or just a few days, Mardis Gras can be a good time to vacation to Walt Disney World.

Mardis Gras flies under the radar as a vacation holiday because it’s not celebrated everywhere. It is known to have some impact on crowd levels. In my experience, it’s not a significant enough impact to sway me from traveling. When Mardis Gras falls over Presidents’ Day week, the combined impact to crowds is significant. When Mardis Gras is late and falls in early March, it can mingle with early spring break.

Mardis Gras 2017 is February 28 which falls one week after Presidents Day on February 28, 2017. This will help separate these two vacation crowds, but the weekend in-between check-outs and check-ins will overlap.

Port Orleans French Quarter Lobby

The drive from Baton Rouge to Orlando is 10-11 hours. Southwest flies nonstop from MSY to MCO. This is a very popular route around Mardis Gras, so the best flights will sell out or rise in price early. 1 stop flights are available out of MSY New Orleans, BTR Baton Route, and MOB Mobile.

Port Orleans French Quarter is the first choice hotel for a Mardis Gras trip. The hotel buildings are modeled after the historic buildings of the French Quarter with wrought iron “balconies.” The hotel food court, Sassagoula Floatworks and Food Factory, is a mock float storage building with large float props hanging overhead.